Wolf in Redwall
by Third Year Ron Weasly
Summary: A Marlfox and Hare get into a mess with a band of stoats. In a desperate attempt to return the hospitality given to them at Redwall, the two must seek out the new beasts in Mossflower for help. But are these new beasts dangerous and if not will they help?
1. The Parting of Brothers

A dark cloud loomed across the moon filtering its beam, sometimes even obstructing the pale white light. The Mossflower seemed a somewhat eccentric part of the land with the moon as it was.  
  
A crack of a tree branch ruined the serenity of the night and almost awoke Geldat the Fox who lay beneath the very tree. He had left his chief a month ago and was doing well on his own trying to find his way to the peace at Redwall abbey. His fur was dark brown, holding a slight gray in it that at some points of his body looked bluish. He wore a gray cloak that under he carried a one-edged ax.  
  
The crack of the branch sent Geldat to his feet. His eyes scanned the area and spotted the noisemaker. A small hare wearing a brownish smock was trying his best to keep still in the foliage where he hid. Geldat moved towards the now quaking hare and drew his ax out bringing it to the hare's throat. "Gid'up!"  
  
The hare stood to his feet the ax following his throat. "What is your name hare?"  
  
"My name would be Dalter. And to what do I owe this great pleasure."  
  
"Cut it Hare. You were following me, why?"  
  
"Well I thought you might be one of the new beasts in Mossflower."  
  
"New beasts?"  
  
The hare had succeeded in hooking the fox's attention now all he needed was to reel him. The ax quickly withdrew from the hare's throat and landed at its place by Geldat's side.  
  
The night wore on as Dalter explained of the new beast. The two sat around a fire each across from each other on upturned stumps. "... And they howl. Yes howl. Some say they do it once they've made a kill others say there praying to their moon goddess. I thought you might be one of 'em because I thought all of the Marlfox had either left the land or were destroyed. Most said the Marlfox were evil vermin but me matey; you don't seem too bad."  
  
"I left my clan because of that exact reputation. I still carry on as one of them though. Hard to change old habits if you know what I mean."  
  
"I get where you're coming from. So anyway these beasts are said to kill for the fun of it. No care for who or what the circumstances are. They have no need for food or rest but feast for the smell of blood. Evil Creatures they are. Mighty evil"  
  
"And this is only what you've heard from other's?"  
  
"That's roit."  
  
"Interesting. You do know however that you can't believe everything ya hear. "  
  
"Are you calling me a bluff?"  
  
"Not exactly. It just means the creatures you've talked to may be liars. "  
  
"Well I believe what I hear," the hare spat back with an edge of disdain.  
  
Geldat moved his hand over the flames to warm up. As he drew his hand back something caught his eye. Acting as calmly as possible the Marlfox stood to his feet stretching his arms into the air. "Wot is it matey?" Dalter asked beginning to stand. Fox spun his leg hitting his log seat sending it into the trees.  
  
A scream rang out as out of nowhere as a band of four stoats came out of the foliage, one of the group limping on one leg. " Ouch. That fox got me in the leg. Hangnose what do you think we should do to teach these vermin a lesson."  
  
A smaller stoat pushed his way between the two lead stoats saying, " Actually Wormtooth, the fox is the only vermin. "  
  
"Shut yer face Scalewart. I think we should skin 'em."  
  
The fourth of the group stepped forward holding a dagger in his hand. "Oi think we should just kill 'em. No need to skin the thing. Just a slit down their throat and its over."  
  
"Ederk, your tired today aren't you," Wormtooth said drawing a hunting knife from his belt.  
  
"No. I just don't want to waste time."  
  
Dalter walked forward his arms across his chest, "Now I don't see why you stoats can't just leave us be. I mean we wouldn't want this to 'ave to get ugly."  
  
Scalewart stepped up to the hare drawing a dagger of his own, "Close yer hole rabbit."  
  
The hare walked up a bit further saying, "Now I never knew a stoat with good manners, so I won't judge you too harshly. But I've also never known a stoat with manners as bad as yours you yellow-bellied-pondsucker."  
  
That had done it for the stoat's temper. Scalewart ran forward dagger over head strait at Dalter. The two beasts hit each other with a smash. The stoat's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to the dirt a dirk buried in his chest.  
  
Dalter retrieved his weapon saying, " I warned the old bloke."  
  
Wormtooth rushed towards his younger brother's body lifting his limp head. He dropped his brother's head and made his way towards the hare.  
  
"Stop where you are stoat ."  
  
Wormtooth felt the cold smooth blade of Geldat's ax under his throat. "Leave stoat. Or I'll slit your throat right through and you can join your dead brother."  
  
Wormtooth heeded the warning and backed away from Dalter.  
  
"Now leave!"  
  
The band of stoats scurried back into the forest. Dalter walked up and kicked Scalewart's limp body. "Tis' a shame this bugger had to die."  
  
"Your good with that dirk of yours."  
  
"Well me ole' marm taught me the ways of Salamandstron. Twas where I was born. Many warrior hares have fought and guarded the hollow mountain."  
  
"How 'bout you journey with me. I might need some help with the vermin along the way."  
  
"Not a very vain Marlfox are you?"  
  
Geldat and Dalter left their fire and followed on thin path through the wood. The path they were on led straight for the great halls of Redwall.  
  
Hours later the moon had receded around the earth and the rays of the sun were pounding the two travelers with its heat. Dalter walked three yards behind Geldat as they traversed towards the abbey. Throughout the night Geldat had noticed the band of stoats following in the wood behind them. Apparently Dalter hadn't noticed because he continued his incessant babbling about the stoats and how he could take the three others with one paw behind his back.  
  
"Me matey, can we stop somewhere for some vitals. My stomach is roaring harder then a river."  
  
Geldat dropped behind with Dalter and they rested at a small oak tree. "So Geldat me matey, when do you thing those stoat will catch up with us?"  
  
"It's not a matter of thinking my friend. The stoats are about four yards away hiding behind the big line of holly bushes."  
  
The holly bushes moved and out walked Erderk, Hangnose, and Wormtooth. Dalter approached the group asking, "What do you vermin want?"  
  
"We have few laws among our bands of thieves. One is no killing. Unless that is to revenge or self-defense." Wormtooth stopped his voice wavering a little. "You," he pointed a menacing finger at Dalter, "Killed Scalewart."  
  
"'Twas self-defense mate."  
  
"Twas you diggin' your grave."  
  
Geldat walked forward between the hare and stoat. Wormtooth fell with two well-laid out left hooks to his jaw. The hare bounced forward waving his fists at his cowering enemy. Geldat looked at his hare partner and replayed the last scene in his mind.  
  
Dalter had dashed around him and put the stoat to the dirt. The hare kept coming with surprises.  
  
Hangnose stepped towards the Marlfox kicking Wormtooth in the ribs. "I have yet to see the fox do anything more than just watch the fight. Well so wot do ya say?"  
  
Geldat's cloak flew open in an instant, a blaze a sliver shot through the air, and just like that the cloak closed just as quick as it had opened. Hangnose's head rolled from his crumpled body, it having been hued off by the fox's ax.  
  
Wormtooth had returned to his foot paws by the time Erderk said," Best we leave now before they shed anymore of our blood."  
  
Wormtooth was reluctant; "The rabbit only got a lucky shot. I can take 'em."  
  
"Don't worry my brother, we'll receive our revenge. With that both stoat's retreated into the wood.  
  
Tasteless seemed the air as Wormtooth and Erderk entered the cave surroundings of Everdark. The two made their way through a pair of what seemed like endless tunnels. They finally reached an opening, which held a deep pit and a spiraling staircase down into the abyss. On the bottom of the cavern were two ferrets both armed with javelins. The ferrets waved the pair of brothers through into another room. The room was a cold gray color. In the center back of the chamber was placed a huge oak throne, which on sat the bat lord Dalit. The grand bat spoke in a tenor voice saying, "Erderk, Wormtooth, hmmmm, where are your brothers Scalewart and Hangnose?"  
  
Erderk bowed to one knee infront of the bat. " M'lord, both Hangnose and Scalewart were killed in an attempted robbery."  
  
"That is most unfortunate. I was hoping that I myself would have the honor of executing that thieving vermin. "  
  
Wormtooth stepped forward. "You better hold your tongue, you little piece of—" Wormtooth's threat was cut short by the cold feel of rapier metal on his throat.  
  
The bat held the rapier tightly. "Wormtooth. It would be wise for you to hold your tongue. The rapier withdrew from Wormtooths neck and was placed in a wonderful jeweled scabbard by the bat's side.  
  
"Your brothers both stole from me a special tapastry. One that I once stole from an abbey off the edge of Mossflower. I want the tapestry back. Where are the packs."  
  
Erderk began slowly," We didn't take their packs. I know who has them though."  
  
A fire kindled inside of Dalit's eyes, "TELL ME WHO HAS THE TAPESTRY!"  
  
Wormtooth shuddered and dropped the spear he was holding. Erderk voice showed no fear as he produced his sentence. "A hare and a fox have it. If I'm not mistaken both are heading towards Redwall abbey."  
  
"The tapestry must not get back to Redwall. Once received at Redwall the tapestry will be even harder to get."  
  
The great bat King thought for a moment then said, "Erderk. You can have control of all my armies. I must get my hands on that tapestry. However if you fail to retreive what I want then I will kill your brother."  
  
With that two ferrets who had been behind the throne made there way out and grabbed Wormtooth dragging him out of the chamber. A smile crossed Erderk's thin lips. " M'lord. I will bring back your tapestry. And then I will bring you the head of all Redwallers."  
  
"Good." 


	2. The Captive Damsel

Two ravens soared over the great walls of Redwall one who went by Razortail the other named Wing-Beak. On the battlement of the great abbey stood a young dibbun armed with a sling. A moment later the raven Razortail was fallen inside the abbey walls, where it was greeted by a storm of arrows and javelins.  
  
The raven's companion Wing-Beak to off in the oppisite direction. The mission was a failor. Wing-Beak was cut short in his fleet, however, by a well aimed arrow to the back of his neck. The bird fell a yard from the abbey's red walls.  
  
The dibbun who had fell the first of the ravens tied his sling back to his belt. He was a young otter rightfully named Marksbeast. Everyone who knew who knew to call him Mark, for that was what he went by. He was clothed by a green habit over which sat a thick coat of mail and in some places sheet armor. If the armor was made of the normal iron than Mark would've been totally immobile. However after the fall of the great Abbess Songbreeze a very light but durable metal was found. That was what Mark wore.  
  
A mouse who had made himself busy pulling out the arrows and sort from the raven called up to the otter babe. " Nice shot Mark."  
  
"Me fa'er didn't name me Mawrk for nothn'," the otter yelled back.  
  
"Abbot Bernard should be pleased. He might even recruit you to sentry duty."  
  
"I personally want to keewp my poosition as wall gard. I get to use me sling 'ore that way."  
  
The mouse turned and went back to his work as the dibbun continued his strenous duty to guard the walls.  
  
Dalter and Geldat sat on a great hill resting; the morning sun piercing through the tree tops scattering light and warmth. A small breeze blew across the hill making the weather very comfortable.  
  
Dalter picked a dandelion from the grass. " So Geldat. Were you in any way related to Silth's kid's?"  
  
"No," his voice was strong and carried much distaste, " Whenever one thinks of a Marlfox, Silth's family comes to mind. It's that kind've stereotyping that makes me ashamed to be of the same species."  
  
"Well me ole' marm said there is a little bit of good in all beasts. Including Silth's family."  
  
Dalter bit the top of the dandelion and chewed.  
  
"You that hungry that you got to eat dandelion's?"  
  
"It's more of a habit then anything else. Me family wasn't the richest of the 'ares that lived outside of Salamandstron . So my dad told me that dandelion's were good luck. I ate them and what do you know I began to like 'em."  
  
A large rumble went through Geldats gut bringing the fox to his next question, " Dalter, you didn't 'appen to check them dead vermin's bags did you?"  
  
" Yeah I checked 'em. No vittles though. Only some rug. I wanted to check the look of it but of course the vermin had it tied on their pretty tight. I would've cut the blasted thing but I decided it would be safer for it if I left it alone."  
  
" You sure it's a rug?"  
  
"It's either a rug or some dirty old tapestry."  
  
In a swamp off the edge of Mossflower sat the newt king Wargle. At his side stood twin toads stolen at birth by the king's men now only meant to serve him. Infront of him bowed the ruler of the Raven clan. " My, liege. I have brought before you a slave. The price being your army support in my clan's on going war with the Redwallers."  
  
Wargle coughed and spit at the side of his throne. " Bring this slave forward."  
  
Two ravens made their way forward each holding an arm of the captive. She was a hedgehog maid and went by Melody. She was weighed down by huge plates of armor. The birds had already stripped her of her of the light armor and now she could hardly move. That didn't stop her from being extremly rude to her captors.  
  
The two ravens threw her forcefully infront of the newt king. "Here is your slave," the Ruler of the Ravens said.  
  
The newt reared back saying, "This is a female. Females don't work. NO DEAL!"  
  
"This is a Redwaller. Strong hard workers each one."  
  
The newt left his throne and kicked the hedehog maid. The maid moved little and spit onto the newts foot-paw. The newt king snapped his fingers and the toads by his side grabbed the maid. "Take her away to the mines. As for you my friend Raven. Let us go into war discussions. 


	3. The Slave, the Ambush, and the Escape

The first impression the mine shaft gave Melody was claustraphobia. As a babe she had been taught to fear nothing. Her tattered gray habit that the toad guards had given her now let in drafts of air from the holes her spikes were poking in it. She held in her cold paws a pickax. Infront of her the two toads led her deeper into the mines. Along the way she caught a glance at a couple of the other slaves slamming away at the walls. Finally one of the toads spoke up. " Misses this 'ill be yo' spot. Yo'll be lookin' for minerals that look like-- ," the toad pulled from his haversack a black stone, "Like 'es."  
  
The other toad took his turn and placed a small bowl of swamp water and a quarter of a loaf of stale bread by her side, "'es 'ill be yo' daily rations. Make gud use of it."  
  
The first toad then drew from his bag a whip tipped at the end with a scorpion spike. "Gid to work!"  
  
Melody turned and dropped her pickax walking to the driver. She spoke in a clear voice, strong showing no sign of wavering the least bit, " These rations won't work for me. I want more."  
  
The toad frowned and said, "Misses that's all the food we're aloud to give you. If ya don't gid to work I'll 'ave to whip you."  
  
" Try it," the hedgehog maiden spit out.  
  
The whip came down but stopped halfway to her body. The cord and scorpion spike spun around the tip of Melody's pickax. She pulled it forcefully towards her ripping it from the toads grubby hands. In one quick motion one of the toads was up against the wall, a long cut running down his face, the other on the ground, the pickax at his throat.  
  
"Me friends listen here. Give me more food, or I'll kill you. Or maybe I'll just escape and then leave your king," she paused and spit on the cave floor, " to kill you."  
  
The toad on the wall moved forward and removed the bread and the water.  
  
"I want it fresh now. You here."  
  
The toad on his back reached and moved the pick blade from his throat. The hedgehog maid wrapped the whip around her hand and helped the toad up. She spoke again in the same commanding tone she had used before, "You my friend will be lookin' for those minerals you were talking about."  
  
Erderk laid in his tent. The cold night air seemed to kindle the fire in his heart. Thoughts of conquering Dalit with his own army were flowing swiftly through his mind. His brother was the least bit of his worries now. The foolish stoat might learn something from the harsh prison life in the caverns of Everdark.  
  
The stoat commader was rattled from his thoughts of grandeur by a call from outside. "Attack! We're under attack!"  
  
Erderk leapt from his tent making sure to grab his rapier. Outside dead cosairs lay everywhere. Most seeming to be killed in the same brutal way. A slit ran down each of the cosairs he was close to. It had been an ambush. The stoat fell to the ground, a large beast standing before him. The thing looked a bit like a fox but bigger, it was brown in color and stood covered only by a pair of leather trousers. The beast brought it's weapon to bear, a large mace, and raised it over it's hairy head.  
  
Erderk rolled out of the way of the attack and got to his feet running. The thing took off running in the opposite direction. A howl rocked the woods and as fast as the beasts had come, they were gone.  
  
Erderk called his remaining army and they marched about a mile from the camp. Many different soldiers gave accounts of what happened,a few hard to believe others that seemed to hit the nail on the head. One of the not so believable stories was that their were only four of the beasts, and that the only reason they had one the fight was because they moved like lighting and attacked as if one entity. Another told that there had been a whole army of them. At the first light of day Erderk marched his men back only to find the skeletal remains of his dead from the night before. Not one piece of meat was left on the bones of the dead and this caused the army to move faster cleaning up camp.  
  
Wormtooth paced his cell. He continued to chide himself that his brother would soon come and they would both seek their revenge on the hare and fox. His cell door opened and a slim ferret walked in throwing in a bowl of water and a piece of shrimp. "'ere's yo'r mornin' vittles. Bett'r gid used ta it yo'r bound to be 'ere a while."  
  
Wormtooth anwsered the ferret, " Are saying that my brothers not good to his word. I 'ave half the nerve to take you out roight now."  
  
"I 'eg you ta try."  
  
Wormtooth leapt forward catching the ferrets foot-paw in his mouth. He gripped the foreign limb and tossed the ferret away like a ragdoll. He reached down grabbed the ferrets sword and ended the fight.  
  
Wormtooth had never done anything as stupid as what he just did. Leaving a decapitated guard in his cell. Hopefully they would suspect some predator killed both the guard and prisoner.  
  
Everdark's prison was in the lowest part of the cave. Only one path lead back up into the main catacombs, which meant nowhere to hide for Wormtooth. The stoat made his way up to the main catacombs as haphazardly as possible. Maybe in passerbys would think him only a drunkard.  
  
Two weasle's came down the long winding stair way to the prisons, each dressed as offical guard of Dalit's. One stopped Wormtooth, "Stoat. Follow us down here, one of the guard hasn't returned yet. We suspect 'e won't if you gid my picture."  
  
"Uh… sure I'll help."  
  
Back at the prison the weasles entered cell. Both were stunned when they saw the body of the ferret. Then they met their dead brother of the guard. 


End file.
